42-Year-Old West New York Man Sentenced To Prison For Sexually Assaulting A Woman In Parking Lot
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 7:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
ELIZABETH, NJ.- Following entering a guilty plea in December 2023, a 42-year-old West New York, New Jersey man appeared in Union County Superior Court on Friday, August 2, 2024, and was sentenced to State Prison for sexually assaulting a woman in a parking area of Newark Airport in January 2023.
On Friday, Thomassal Watkins, 42, of West New York, was sentenced by Union County Superior Court Judge Regina Caufield to a term of 18 years in New Jersey State Prison subject to the No Early Release Act, which will require Watkins to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole.
Additionally, upon his release from prison, Watkins will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law requirements and will be subject to parole supervision for life.
The sentence stems from an incident that unfolded on January 18, 2023, when, at approximately 9:00 p.m., members of the Port Authority Police Department responded to the Conrac Parking Garage, connected to Terminal A, at Newark Liberty International Airport in Elizabeth, New Jersey, after receiving a report that a woman had been sexually assaulted while walking to her car.
Upon arrival, Police Officers learned that the woman had just been sexually assaulted by an unknown man. Port Authority Police Officers were quickly able to locate and apprehend a suspect matching the description of the man given to responding officers.
An exhaustive investigation by Detective Claudia Diaz of the Union County Special Victims Unit and Port Authority Police Detective Amos Shand, with the assistance of the Union County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Unit, resulted in a swift identification of Watkins as the individual responsible for assaulting the woman.
Faced with an abundance of conclusive evidence against him, Watkins, instead of facing trial on December 11, 2023, Watkins entered a guilty plea to one count of first-degree Aggravated Assault before Judge Caufield.
“We commend the exceptional work of the Port Authority Police Department for their rapid response and apprehension of the suspect,” said Union County Prosecutor William Daniel. “This collaborative effort between our agencies demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the public and bringing perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice.”
